He also delivered the opening prayer for President George W. Bush’s second inauguration, according to Alabama Media Group, and is rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, the congregation presidents most frequently attend.

In contrast, Leon’s congregation has been welcoming to openly gay members. The church, which has openly gay, non-celibate priests and has had a gay bishop, announced this summer that it would bless same-sex partnerships and ordain transgender priests, according to the Huffington Post.

His goal, Leon said, is to offer a prayer to help bring people together.

“I think when we’re asking a blessing for this country, we’re asking for God to lift us up, to lift up what’s good in us,” he said.

“To remind us of what’s good in us and remind us to do what’s proper, what’s the good, the right thing for the country.”

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I feel so 'proud' that I was Leon's pastor in his native Cuba (and also of all his family). I had the privilege of attending his installation in St. Paul's and saw his mother Concha, our dearest kindergarten teacher in our parochial school in Guantanamo. He's a great guy and a consecrated servant of God.

I'm remembering some of our conversations when we journeyed together to meetings at Episcopal House (actually Rector Street in those days). It will be awesome to watch and hear him pray for our joint mission and ministry.

The Reverend Luis Leon has always been in the forefroont of urban and community development. We were privileged to have him as our rector at St. Paul's in Paterson. At that time we started an Emergency Shelter for Homeless Men.